The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has begun installing eGates at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMA) in Lagos to enhance national security, passenger facilitation, and ease of doing business. The NIS also disclosed that over 107,000 produced passports remain uncollected by applicants.
eGates are automated self-service barriers that use biometric data stored in passports along with a photo or fingerprint to verify the passport holder’s identity. If verification fails, the gate does not open.
During an inspection of the newly installed eGate at Lagos airport on Friday, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced that the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja is already fully completed. Installation at Lagos airport is in the final stage, with Terminal 2 expected to be fully operational by Monday morning. The D Wing will be completed by next weekend, followed by the E Wing in two weeks. Overall, Lagos will be ready in three weeks, and then the project will move to airports in Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized the importance of eGates for national security and facilitating business, highlighting that the system is connected to global databases. He also mentioned that the project is a public-private partnership, not government-funded.
Comptroller-General of the NIS, Kemi Nanna Nandap, urged Nigerians to pick up their passports and noted that the eGates will improve border security, passenger clearance, and the efficiency of NIS officers. Training and capacity building for officers on using the gates are ongoing.